The subject matter herein relates generally to header assemblies.
Radio frequency (RF) coaxial connector assemblies have been used for numerous automotive applications, such as global positioning systems (GPS), car radios, mobile phones, air bag systems, and multimedia devices. Some coaxial connector assemblies are cable assemblies that are terminated to ends of coaxial cables. Coaxial cables typically consist of an outer conductor, an inner conductor, a dielectric, and a jacket or outer insulation. The outer conductor and the inner conductor of the cable electrically interface with corresponding inner and outer contacts of the connector, which may be a male or a female connector. Other coaxial connector assemblies are terminated to a circuit board rather than a cable. To interface with coaxial cable assemblies, such board-mounted assemblies include a coaxial interface defined by a center contact and an outer contact surrounding the center contact. Both the center and outer contacts terminate to the circuit board.
In order to standardize various types of connectors and thereby avoid confusion, certain industry standards have been established. One of these standards is referred to as FAKRA. FAKRA is the Automotive Standards Committee in the German Institute for Standardization, representing international standardization interests in the automotive field. The FAKRA standard provides a system, based on keying and color coding, for proper connector attachment. The keying and color identifying features of a FAKRA connector are typically on a housing. Male keying features can only be connected to like female keyways in FAKRA connector assemblies. Secure positioning and locking of connector housings is facilitated by way of a FAKRA defined catch on the male housing and a cooperating latch on the female housing.
Typical product families of FAKRA connectors include numerous different male housings, each having a different mold or die or tool inserts to form the particular arrangement of keys. Manufacturing many different molds or dies is expensive. Additionally, requiring customers to carry a different part for each desired keying configuration causes additional expense to the customer in terms of inventory and warehousing of inventory. A need remains for a connector assembly that is part of a product family that reduces part numbers.
In addition, in some connector assemblies, the male housings are formed by releasably coupling an interface housing to a shell. The keying features are on the interface housing, and the shell terminates to the cable or circuit board. Multiple different interface housings may be formed that have different kinds and/or positions of keying features, and multiple different shells may be formed that couple to the interface housings at different rotational orientations. The interface housings are substitutable on the shells in order to mix and match the keying features and the orientations of the connector. In addition to being expensive and difficult to require multiple different parts for each desired keying configuration, the coupling between the interface housing and the shell in some known connector systems is inadequate to meet standard-defined retention requirements. For example, in some known connector systems, the interface housing is coupled to the shell by a single latch and catch. The retention between the latch and catch fails at forces below the retention requirement. Thus, pulling on a mating connector coupled to the male housing causes the latch to fail below the retention requirement threshold, resulting in the interface housing uncoupling from the shell. A need remains for a connector assembly that provides better retention between the interface housing and the shell.